Category: Minnesota T-Wolves Blog

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Ricky Rubio is shooting bricks overseas

The AP reports:

Ricky Rubio shooting bricks overseas

The numbers don’t lie—Ricky Rubio is struggling with his shot.

The Spaniard is shooting just 20 percent from beyond the 3-point line in the Euroleague this season, a stat that has concerned fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team that used a first-round draft pick in 2009 to claim him.

As for Rubio himself, he’s not sweating it.

“Sometimes it goes in, sometimes it doesn’t,” Rubio told The Associated Press after a recent 80-56 win over Roma Lottomatica. “I’m not worried. You have to keep shooting and believing in yourself.”

Rubio is averaging only about six points per game, but he is also doing what he does best—finding passing angles few others see and creating offense.

Kevin Love replaces Yao Ming on 2011 West All-Star team

Kevin Love replaces Yao Ming on 2011 West All-Star team

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love has been named to the 2011 Western Conference All-Star team, the National Basketball Association announced today. Love was named to the team by NBA Commissioner David Stern to replace Yao Ming, who was voted as a starter by the fans but is out for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his left ankle. The honor is the first of Love’s career and the first for a Timberwolves player since Kevin Garnett during the 2006-07 NBA season. Love is the fifth player in franchise history to be named an All-Star, joining Garnett (10 appearances), Tom Gugliotta (1), Wally Szczerbiak (1) and Sam Cassell (1).

“This is an incredible honor for me and I’m so proud to be able to represent the Timberwolves organization at one of the league’s premier events,” Love said. “I’m thankful to Commissioner Stern for giving me his support, as well as to all the great fans in Minnesota who have been behind me and my teammates all season long.”

This marks the second time in franchise history that the Commissioner has named a Wolves player to the All-Star game as a replacement for an injured player. Kevin Garnett earned an All-Star nod in 1997 as a replacement for the injured Shaquille O’Neal, the first of his NBA-record-tying 14 consecutive selections.

“I’m really happy for Kevin. He worked extremely hard this offseason to elevate his game and learn how to consistently perform at a high level in this league,” Wolves head coach Kurt Rambis said. “This recognition is well-deserved, and exciting news both for Kevin personally and our organization as a whole.”

Love, the league’s leading rebounder at 15.5 boards per game, is on pace to become the first player since Moses Malone in 1982-83 to average 20+ points and 15+ rebounds in a season. He’s also on track to become the first player in NBA history to average 12+ rebounds per game while shooting better than 40% from behind the arc. In addition, Love leads the league in double-doubles (43), and his current streak of 34 straight games with a double-double is the second-longest in the last 25 seasons (Kevin Garnett – 37 straight in 2006; John Stockton – 37 straight in 1989).

On Nov. 12, Love made history when he tallied 31 points and 31 rebounds in a come-from-behind win over New York. Love became one of just 19 players in NBA history with a 30/30 game, and the first to accomplish the feat since Moses Malone in 1982.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Kevin Love no lock to make All-Star team

Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports:

Kevin Love no lock to make All-Star team

This season, the Wolves have a player — Kevin Love — worthy of selection for the Feb. 20 game in Los Angeles, where Love played collegiately for UCLA.

The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Love, who is just 22 years old, leads the NBA with 39 double-doubles while averaging 15.6 rebounds and 21.4 points. His streak of 30 straight double-doubles is the league’s longest since Garnett’s 37 straight over the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.

It will be unjust if coaches don’t select him as a reserve next week for the Western Conference team.

But Love doesn’t sound confident of selection.

“It’s going to be really tough (to make it),” Love said following Monday night’s loss to Houston at Target Center. “But it would be a tremendous honor, being out there in L.A., where except for my immediate family I have basically all my family and friends.

“If I’m not chosen, I won’t be too bitter because wins come at a premium in this league and a lot of coaches look at that and want to choose guys on winning teams.”

The Wolves have just 10 victories in 44 games this season. Love speculates chances of his selection at less than 50-50.

T-Wolves get 5 Ts in 10 seconds in loss to Spurs

The AP reports:

Referee Ken Mauer certainly won’t be accused of being biased toward his hometown Minnesota Timberwolves anytime soon.

Mauer, a cousin of Twins superstar Joe Mauer and a St. Paul native, whistled the Wolves for five technical fouls in a dizzying 10 seconds of the third quarter, allowing the calm and collected San Antonio Spurs to take control of another head-scratchingly tight game between the best team in the NBA and one of the worst.

Manu Ginobili had 19 points, making all five of those technical free throws, and the Spurs beat the Timberwolves 107-96 on Tuesday night.

“I’ve never seen that before,” said Wolves forward Kevin Love, who picked up the final technical of the spree. “Five in a row, that had to be a first. That was crazy.”

Richard Jefferson scored 17 and Tony Parker had 12 points and 13 assists for the Spurs, who beat the Timberwolves for the 16th straight time. Ginobili also had nine rebounds and six assists.

Love had 20 points and 20 rebounds for the Timberwolves, his sixth 20-20 game of the season. Orlando’s Dwight Howard led the league with three 20-20 games all of last season.

Timberwolves recall Jonny Flynn from D-League

March 14, 2010: Jonny Flynn of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the game between the Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. Ben Munn/CSM.

The Minnesota Timberwolves recalled second-year guard Jonny Flynn from the Sioux Falls Skyforce yesterday. Flynn appeared in one game for the Skyforce during his second stint in the D-League, dishing out 12 assists to go along with eight points and five rebounds in the Skyforce’s game against Tulsa Friday night.

Flynn, the sixth overall pick by Minnesota in last year’s draft, started each of the 81 games he appeared in as a rookie last season. He averaged 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a rookie before missing the season finale with the hip injury that ultimately required offseason surgery. He finished his first NBA season ranked fifth among the league’s rookies in scoring (13.5 ppg), fourth in free-throw accuracy (82.6%), fifth in assists (4.4 apg) and seventh in steals (1.01 spg).

Per NBA rules, a first- or second-year player can be assigned to the team’s D-League affiliate a maximum of three times in a season.

Timberwolves send Jonny Flynn back to D-League

March 14, 2010: Jonny Flynn of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the game between the Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. Ben Munn/CSM.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the club has reassigned second-year guard Jonny Flynn to the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. Flynn will re-join the Skyforce following Thursday’s Wolves practice and is expected to play in both their Friday and Saturday night games against Tulsa.

Flynn was previously assigned to Sioux Falls on Dec. 1, where he tallied eight points, nine assists and two steals in 25 minutes of action during the Skyforce’s game against Iowa on Dec. 3. He was recalled to the Timberwolves the following day.

The sixth overall pick by Minnesota in last year’s draft, Flynn started each of the 81 games he appeared in as a rookie last season. He averaged 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a rookie before missing the season finale with the hip injury that ultimately required offseason surgery. He finished his first NBA season ranked 5th among the league’s rookies in scoring (13.5 ppg), 4th in free-throw accuracy (82.6%), 5th in assists (4.4 apg) and 7th in steals (1.01 spg).

Flynn is yet to appear in a game for the Wolves this season after undergoing offseason surgery on his left hip on July 27. Per NBA rules, a first- or second-year player can be assigned to the team’s D-League affiliate a maximum of three times in a season.

InsideHoops.com editor says: This is a good tune-up to help Flynn prepare to actually help the Timberwolves.

Anthony Tolliver out 6-8 weeks with knee injury

Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via blog):

Anthony Tolliver out 6-8 weeks with knee injury

Tough break for Timberwolves backup forward Anthony Tolliver. He will miss the next 6-8 weeks to recover from a sprained medial collateral in his right knee. Tolliver, signed by the Wolves as a free agent in August, was hurt in Friday night’s game at San Antonio. An MRI exam Sunday revealed the extent of Tolliver’s injury.

The good thing for the 25 year-old Tolliver is that he won’t require surgery. This is the first significant injury in Tolliver’s scattered NBA career. It happens the first time he was able to earn a guaranteed contract after four years of bouncing around the league trying to find a home. The Wolves signed Tolliver to a two-year deal worth $4.6 million.

The Wolves will miss Tolliver’s energy. He has become the team’s best front-line defender off the bench. He’s averaging 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists and shooting a respectable 43.8 percent from three-point range (14 of 32).

What’s your opinion? Share it in the Minnesota Timberwolves forum.

Timberwolves recall Jonny Flynn from D-League

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the club has recalled second-year guard Jonny Flynn from the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. Flynn appeared in one game for the Skyforce, tallying eight points, nine assists and two steals is 25 minutes of action.

Flynn, the sixth overall pick by Minnesota in last year’s draft, started each of the 81 games he appeared in as a rookie last season. He averaged 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a rookie before missing the season finale with the hip injury that ultimately required offseason surgery. He finished his first NBA season ranked fifth among the league’s rookies in scoring (13.5 ppg), fourth in free-throw accuracy (82.6%), fifth in assists (4.4 apg) and seventh in steals (1.01 spg).

Per NBA rules, a first- or second-year player can be assigned to the team’s D-League affiliate a maximum of three times in a season.

After heart attack, Jim Petersen back behind microphone

Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

Timberwolves television broadcaster Jim Petersen returned to work Saturday night, three days after suffering a heart attack he said was nowhere near the “mild” one the team reported he had after Wednesday morning’s shootaround.

Petersen credits a telephone call to team physician Sheldon Burns with saving his life. Burns urged him to call paramedics immediately rather than wait for his wife to arrive home after he went from experiencing slight discomfort in his chest to a crushing pain in a matter of minutes.

Within 50 minutes after calling for help, Petersen rested in the hospital with a stent in his heart to open what he called a 100 percent blockage.